Coming Home
by Hatake Satsuki
Summary: They always say you can never go home again. After five years away from Konoha, Sasuke is about to find out if that's true. Will anything be the same? While he was away, Sasuke has changed, and he's about to find out life isn't always what you expect.
1. Chapter 1

Sasuke slipped silently through the gate and into the village. Even in the dark, he could see that the village had changed very little in the five years he'd been gone. Closing his eyes, he draws in a deep breath of the cold night air before moving on into the village. Feeling himself growing nervous with each step he took, Sasuke glared off into the shadows, forcing himself to continue moving forward. Lifting his hands, he tugs his hood more firmly in place over his head, blocking out most of the wind's cold bite. Fear had kept him from coming home for the past three years. He'd decided that he wasn't going to let that fear keep him away any longer. He'd never know for sure if he could win Sakura's heart again if he never tried. She'd tried so hard to keep him from leaving, he felt that his chances of gaining her forgiveness and love was pretty good.

Stopping in front of the house that Sakura had just moved into shortly before he'd left, Sasuke looks at the dark windows and draws a deep breath to settle the last of his fears. Closing his eyes, he let his memory drift back to the night Sakura had moved in. He'd stayed with her that night, and they'd made love for the first time. He stayed with her every night after that for the next month. He'd been ready to propose when the news had arrived that Itachi had finally been found. He'd been torn between his love for Sakura, and the need to avenge his family. He'd tried to explain his feelings to her, but in the end, he thought it for the best just to sneak out in the night. When he was honest with himself, he knew that the one he'd thought it was best for was himself. It was still the hardest decision he'd ever had to make, and Sasuke still wondered from time to time if he'd made the _right_ decision.

Opening the door, Sasuke slips silently into the house and closes the door behind him, cutting off the cold bite of the wind. Moving quickly and silently through the house, Sasuke heads straight for Sakura's room in the back of the house. Stopping for a moment outside the closed door, Sasuke rests his hand on the doorknob, settling his racing thoughts before slowly pushing the door open. His heart immediately begins to race when his gaze settles on Sakura's sleeping form. Her pink hair tousled from sleep. One arm draped across the pillow over her head. Blanket laying askew across her body. She'd never looked more beautiful. Moving across the room before he even thinks about it, Sasuke reaches out a hand, stopping just before he touched her.

Standing perfectly still, Sasuke listens carefully for the noise he'd heard to come again. Looking back over his shoulder, he peers put the open bedroom door, noticing for the first time that the door from the rooms across the hall stood slightly ajar with a soft light glowing around the edges. Hearing a quiet murmur of noise coming from that room, Sasuke frowns. Moving silently back into the hall, he steps up to the door and peers around the edge. When his eyes adjust to the light, Sasuke is confused at the sight of the room. Decorated in pink and over-flowing with toys, it looked like a little girl's room. His gaze finally settles on the little pink bed, and the small form of the child sleeping there.

Feeling slightly dizzy from the shock and confusion, Sasuke moves dazedly across the room to stand next to the small, pink bed. It takes a few minutes for his mind to even register what he was looking at. It was a little girl, but she looked so much like him, he thought he was looking at a shadow clone of himself as a child. When the girls stirs and opens her eyes, Sasuke's breath catches in his throat. Moving backward to fade into the shadows of the doorway, Sasuke doesn't so much as breathe again until the child closes her eyes and settles back to sleep. Green eyes. She had green eyes. Eyes the color of a fine jade. Sakura's eyes.

Sasuke stiffens when he feels a kunai pressed to his throat. Not moving, not speaking, Sasuke waits for his chance. Patience was a virtue he'd always had, but it was also one he'd had to hone over the months it took him to actually track his brother down when he'd left Konoha. He didn't know who it was holding the blade to his throat, but he wasn't going to let whoever it was have the upper hand. He didn't want to have to resort to violence in Sakura's house. That wasn't the way he wanted their first meeting again after five years to go. When the wielder of the blade speaks, Sasuke relaxes, a smile touching the corners of his mouth.

"If you so much as _breathe_ on my daughter, you're dead. I don't know what you think you're doing here, but I do know it's not going to happen. You picked the wrong house."

Smiling in spite of himself at Sakura's hissed threats, Sasuke remains silent, thinking now wouldn't be a good time to speak. When he feels the pressure against his throat, Sasuke steps back and allows himself to be guided back out to the front room. The faint moonlight coming in the windows lit the room well enough that when Sasuke turned to face Sakura, he got his first good look at her. Feeling his breath catching in his throat, Sasuke has to swallow hard several times to clear the lump that had suddenly risen in his throat, making it difficult to breathe. Her beauty had grown more than he could have expected, and he knew he was more in love with her than ever.

Sakura had been nineteen years old when Sasuke left, and already showing signs of the woman she would be. Now, five years later, time and motherhood had washed away the last soft traces of the child Sakura had been, leaving in it's wake, a beautiful and confidant young woman. Sasuke felt his heart breaking again for the pain he'd caused Sakura, and himself. Regret clawed at his chest, but he made himself remain still. Until Sakura knew it was him, and had a chance to decide how she felt about his return, Sasuke knew it was not wise to push her.

"Alright damn you, take that hood off! Stop hiding and at least let me see your face before you tell me what you're doing in my house. What do you want with my daughter?"

Sasuke pauses for only a moment before slowly lifting his hands and grabbing the edges of the hood. Ducking his head, he pulls the hood back and lets it rest on his shoulders. Dropping his hands to his sides once more, Sasuke lifts his head to look at Sakura, ready for anything, but not sure what to expect. However, when all the color drains from Sakura's face and she begins to sway slightly on her feet, Sasuke is unprepared and can only reach out toward her with a hand. He drops his hand back to his side as quickly as he lifted it however, and remains silent as he watches Sakura balance herself against a chair back. The kunai she held dropped from nerveless fingers as Sakura reaches out to grip the back of the chair, making it creak softly on the pressure of her grip. Sasuke feels his heart kick into a gallop as Sakura frowns in confusion, tilting her head to the side and peering at him from across the room. She was more beautiful than ever, and Sasuke knew at that moment that he'd not quit until he'd won her heart once more.

"S... Sasuke-...kun?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Hello Sakura. I'm sorry if I scared you. It certainly wasn't my intention. I just wanted to see you. I was going to come back in the morning after you woke up, but... I couldn't wait another night to see you. Then, I heard a sound and went to see what it was, and..." Sasuke trails off, shrugging his shoulders and looking sheepishly at Sakura.

"Sasuke?" Sakura takes a step closer, still gripping the chair tightly, making it creak louder. "This isn't a dream? You're really here? You're back?"

Sasuke takes a step closer to Sakura. When she doesn't move away from him, or offer any other objection, he takes another step. Step by step, Sasuke moves nervously across the room until he's standing within an arm's length of Sakura. Suddenly feeling like an awkward teenager, Sasuke shifts his weight nervously from one foot to the other. Wanting to say something witty, or charming, Sasuke thinks quickly. Panic stricken, he fights not to turn and run from Sakura when he can think of nothing to say. No words would come to him that would fix all that lay between them. He felt like a fool, but at the same time, he was drawn to her and knew he couldn't leave even if he wanted to.

Sakura visibly shakes herself, trying to clear away the confusion and shock that clouded her mind. She looks up at Sasuke, so close. She hadn't thought she'd ever have him this close to her again except in her dreams. She wanted so much to fall into his arms, never letting him go again. Something held her back. The look in his eyes, his quietness, the unanswered questions. A sound from behind her, draws Sakura's attention and she steps back from Sasuke. Her daughter was what kept her away from Sasuke, nothing else. Shaking her head, she turns and leaves the room, heading to the back of the house to check on her daughter, afraid they might have woken her up.

Sasuke wanted very much to follow Sakura when she turned and headed back down the hall. He didn't want her out of his sight. The stiff line of her shoulders, and her continued silence made him think better of following her. Shoulders slumping, he steps back to where he originally was and waits for her to return. He knew he shouldn't push her, but that was all he wanted to do. It had been too long, and they had too much time to make up for. Things weren't exactly going the way Sasuke had figured they would. He knew Sakura would likely be angry, but he thought that her relief at having him back would wash away that anger in no time. Sakura didn't seem angry, but she didn't seem happy to have him back either.

When Sakura returns, she doesn't seem any less tense, or any more willing to move closer to Sasuke, taking up the same position she had before going to check on her daughter. Hand on the back of the chair, she manages not to squeeze it this time. She stares across the room at Sasuke, standing in the soft glow of the moonlight coming in through the window he was standing by. When Sasuke turns back from the window, neither speaks, just staring across the distance that separated them. When the silence begins to grow uncomfortable, Sasuke takes a few tentative steps toward Sakura, stopping when she takes a step back, crossing her arms over her chest. Sasuke steps back to his spot next to the window, nervously licking his lips.

"She's my daughter, isn't she?"

"Yes."

The one word reply startles Sasuke, it was so filled with anger. Mistrust shone clearly on Sakura's face, and Sasuke felt his heart clench with fear. He knew at that moment that he'd been away too long, and his chances of winning Sakura's heart again were very slim. Trying not to think about this, he shakes his head slightly and licks his lips again. "What's her name?"

"Junko."

Sasuke tilts his head to the side, frowning slightly as he looks at Sakura across the room. The name was a strange one, certainly not the name he would ever expect Sakura to give their daughter. She'd always been such a light, happy person, he expected any child she had to receive a name that reflected that. He starts to ask her about the name but stops himself as a thought occurs to him. She'd had to deal with the pregnancy and the birth alone. She didn't know where he was, when or if he'd be back. She didn't even know if he was alive or dead, whether or not their daughter would ever know their father. Guilt swept over him, nearly crushing him under it's weight.

"Junko... why Junko?"

"Kakashi named her. He said it was his favorite name and if he'd ever had a daughter he would have named her that. He's the only father she's ever known." Seeing the pain on Sasuke's face, Sakura relents slightly, letting her arms drop to her sides. "Her full name is Mikoto Junko Uchiha. I named her for your mother, but we use her middle name."

Sasuke takes a deep, shaking breath then nods before letting his head drop forward, eyes closed. He stands like this for several minutes letting the implications sink in. To know that he had a daughter gave him both joy and pain. He'd been away for her entire life, she didn't know him. He grew up most of his life with neither of his parents, he'd always wanted his children to have both of their parents always. Knowing that she was named for his mother both hurt his heart, and helped heal the old pain that her death had left him with. He tried not to think about Kakashi being the girl's father, raising her since he hadn't been here to do it. Jealousy flared, but he squashed it before it got a hold. He couldn't honestly have expected Sakura to wait around for him forever, and their daughter had needed a father. But still, part of him remained angrily jealous.

"Thank you for giving her my mother's name. Thank you for giving her the Uchiha name."

"Of course I did. She's an Uchiha. Just because you walked out on us is no reason for me to deny my daughter her heritage."

Sasuke nods, choked up and unable to speak for a few moments. Finally he lifts his head and looks across the room at Sakura, longing to close the distance between them both physically and emotionally, but he knew he couldn't. Not tonight anyway, and maybe not ever again. "May I see her? Tomorrow I mean, I don't want to disturb her sleep any more tonight."

Sakura crosses her arms over her chest again, her eyes narrowing with distrust and pain that she tried to disguise as anger. "I don't know, Sasuke. I don't want you to come into our daughter's life, and then have you leave her alone like you did me. She deserves better than that. She has a happy life now, I don't think we should mess with that."

Sasuke nods, his shoulders slumping with defeat, pain gripping his heart again. He didn't blame Sakura for this decision. Reaching up, he takes hold of the hood of his cloak and pulls it back up over his head, then grabs the edges and pulls it back over his shoulders, wrapping it tightly around himself. Turning, he makes his way to the door and stops. Looking back over his shoulder at Sakura, he fights the urge to plead with her to reconsider, to forgive him, to allow him to come back, but he doesn't. He hadn't known until that moment just how unfair his departure had been to her, even if she hadn't been carrying his child. How could he expect her to forgive him? He didn't think he could even forgive himself.

"I understand. I'm sorry Sakura, I truly am. I hope you can believe me one day, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me some day. Please think about letting me see her, just once. She doesn't need to know who I am, I just want to see her. Just once."

Sakura nods, but doesn't trust herself to speak. Part of her still loved Sasuke, and she knew that part would always love him. He was her first love, her first kiss, her first boyfriend, her first everything. He was the father of her daughter. Turning away, she heads back to her room, not looking back for fear she would break, and when she hears the door close softly behind Sasuke when he leaves, her own shoulders slump. Standing outside her daughter's bedroom, she looks in at the sleeping child, feeling the first tears begin to trickle down her cheeks.

* * *

**AN**: I'm sorry to do this to you folks, but there will be no updates next week. Going to be out of town for Christmas. But the story will be back on it's normal update schedule (Mondays and Thursdays) on the 29th. (Also, I may do an extra update on the 31st as an apology for missing next week. We'll see.)

Happy Holidays everyone!


	3. Chapter 3

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke turns at the sound of his name being called through the crowd. He was so distracted by his thoughts that at first he doesn't recognize the voice. Before he's turned fully around, he knows who it is he'll find coming toward him through the crowd. He could never forget that annoying voice for very long, he'd spent so many years listening to it. When his gaze settles on Naruto, he frowns slightly, then shakes his head and slips out of the crowd, waiting for him to move closer. As he watches Naruto weave through the crowd he notices the small children padding along on either side of him, each holding one of his hands. Blinking in surprise, Sasuke takes a closer look at the children and can't help the grin that slips onto his face.

When Naruto stops in front of him, Sasuke grins wider. "I see she finally managed to tell you she loves you. Congratulations, Daddy."

Naruto grins like an idiot, then looks down at his twins briefly before turning his attention back to Sasuke. "I heard you were back in town. I was hoping I'd catch up to you some time today."

Sasuke nods, trying not to frown. Word traveled fast in this village. Faster than he remembered it seemed. "Yeah, I'm back. Who told you?"

"Hinata. Sakura told her this morning when she came by to get her for their mission. Man you better tread carefully around Sakura. She's changed since you left. Having Junko made her a really tough lady. Even more than she was when we were kids."

Sasuke only nods. He'd noticed the change in Sakura, but he thought his leaving, and the way he did it had a lot to do with her changes. In an effort to change the subject, Sasuke glances down at the children shuffling in boredom next to their father. "Tell me about these two."

Naruto grins his idiot grin again, but Sasuke didn't begrudge him his fatherly pride, he deserved it. "This is Kushina and this is Minato. Hinata named them for my parents."

Sasuke kneels down and holds out a hand first to the girl, then the boy, shaking their hands. "It's nice to meet you both. Me and your Daddy grew up together. Maybe when you're a little older I'll tell you some of the tricks he used to pull around the village." Sasuke stands and grins at Naruto.

"Hey, hey! Don't do that! They're enough of a handful all on their own!"

Sasuke chuckles and nods his head. He didn't doubt that any children fathered by Naruto would be trouble. Looking closely at the girl, Sasuke noticed that she seemed to have her mother's looks, but her father's attitude. It radiated from the girl as she all but glared at him from her father's side. That smug, self-assurance that Naruto possessed and had always annoyed Sasuke was very apparent in the little girl. Turning his gaze to the boy, he was looking at a younger, smaller version of Naruto, with Hinata's eyes. When the boy stepped back to hide himself behind his father's legs, gaze darting down to the ground, Sasuke nods to himself, seeing proof of what he'd already guessed: the boy had his father's looks, but his mother's mannerisms.

Turning his attention back to Naruto, Sasuke smiles. "Well, they're cute kids. I'm sure they'll make good ninjas some day, no matter how much trouble they may be now. How old are they anyway? They look pretty close to Mikoto's age." He refused to call his daughter by a name given to her by another man. She was _his_ daughter, damnit!

"Well, Hinata and I got married not long after you left, so it wasn't long after that that they were born. They just turned three a couple of weeks ago."

Sasuke looks at the children holding their father's hands and feels a pang in his heart. He knew he could be in the same position Naruto was in now if he hadn't left. Beginning to wonder if he'd have been able to stay if he'd known about Sakura's pregnancy, Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest, unaware that he was scowling darkly from his own thoughts. Looking down the the children, he doesn't see them as he imagines how different his life would have been if he'd been there from the beginning. He could see himself walking through the village, holding Mikoto's tiny hand in his. This image makes him scowl deeper and sigh deeply with regret.

Naruto shifts and pulls both of his children behind him, seeing the scowl on Sasuke's face. Frowning, he takes a step back before he speaks. "Well, anyway, I've got to get these two over to Hinata's family, I've got a mission. It's good to see you back, I hope we can catch up soon, it's been a long time."

Sasuke drags himself from his dark contemplation when Naruto speaks, unaware that he'd been scowling at the twins. He glances up at Naruto and nods, already getting distracted by his thoughts once more. "Yeah, sure. Good luck on your mission." Just before Naruto can turn away, Sasuke remembered something Naruto had said at the start of their conversation. "Hey, Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"If Sakura's on a mission, where's Mikoto?"

"Well, usually she stays with Kakashi. Unless he has a mission, then she stays with Sakura's parents. I've been so busy with these two lately that I haven't seen Kakashi in weeks, so I don't know if he's on a mission or not."

Frowning slightly, Sasuke nods and waves goodbye to Naruto and his children. Slipping back into the crowd, Sasuke sets off for Kakashi's. He didn't want another man raising his daughter. He was back now, and he was her father, so if anyone was going to raise her, it was going to be him. It didn't matter to Sasuke at the moment what Sakura thought. He was angry enough at the thought of Mikoto calling his former sensei 'Daddy' that Sakura and what she'd said never crossed his mind. By the time he reached Kakashi's place, he'd worked himself into a pretty foul mood. He glares at the door for several minutes, trying to calm himself before he knocked. He didn't want to start a fight in front of his daughter. If he scared her now, he might never win her over. Taking a deep breath, he lifts his hand and knocks firmly.

To Sasuke's surprise, it's not Kakashi that answers the door, but Iruka. He blinks at the older man in surprise for a moment before he recovers himself. "Iruka! It's been a long time. Good to see you. I was looking for Kakashi."

"Sasuke! I'd heard a rumour that you were back, but I didn't know if I should believe it or not. It's good to have to back in the village again." Iruka pauses, shifting in the doorway, seeming slightly uncomfortable for a moment before he continues. "Kakashi is out on a mission. He's not due back until some time tomorrow. Was there something I could help you with?"

Sasuke shakes his head and frowns slightly. "No, but thanks. I need to talk to Kakashi about something. If you see him before I do, can you tell him that I'm looking for him? I really do need to talk to him about something."

Iruka nods and smiles. "Sure, I'll tell him. Again, welcome home Sasuke."

Sasuke absently smiles his thanks, then turns and walks away. When he hears the door close softly behind him, he stops. Looking back over his shoulder he frowns slightly, then shakes his head and starts walking again. Unsure what to do now that his anger had been splashed with cold water by having to wait, he felt it slipping away as if it had never been. Sighing, he heads off again, going back to his old room. He'd spent the night there last night, but he knew he was going to have to give it a thorough cleaning if he was going to be staying there for any length of time. Since it was clear Sakura wasn't going to take him back right away, and since he had no intentions of ever leaving again, that meant he was going to be staying there for a while. Just before he slips around the corner, he glances back at Kakashi's place and frowns again, wondering for the first time what Iruka had been doing there.


	4. Chapter 4

Sasuke poked his head out of the closet he was cleaning, listening carefully. When the knock he wasn't sure he'd heard comes again, Sasuke drops the rag he'd been dusting off the shelves with onto the floor and steps out of the closet. Wiping his hands on his dusty shirt, Sasuke moves quickly across the room and pulls the door open. He takes a step back and blinks at the one that had come to see him. He recovers from his surprise quickly and crosses his arms over his chest, frowning deeply up at the older man, not bothering to invite him in, letting him stand out in the cold. He knew it was childish, but he didn't care. It had only taken one glance for his anger to return again.

"I've been told you were looking for me."

"Yeah, I was. What do you want, Kakashi?"

Kakashi frowns at Sasuke's hostility, but answers the question. "Like I said, I was told you were looking for me. I thought I'd come by and see what it was you wanted."

Sasuke shakes his head, reigning his his hostility for the moment. "What I want I can't have just yet, but I can tell you what I went looking for you for."

Taking a step back, Sasuke motions Kakashi into the room, closing the door firmly behind him. It wasn't a matter of manners, or wanting to make his old sensei comfortable, he just didn't want to have this conversation in the doorway while his room continued to get colder and colder. Moving into the room, Sasuke drops into the chair at his desk. He turns his head slowly, watching Kakashi walk to the other side of the room, sitting in the only other chair. Distance was what they needed, because Sasuke wasn't sure what he'd do if he lost his temper again.

"I'm back now, and have every intention of staying. I know I made a mistake leaving like I did, and I plan to spend the rest of my life making it up to Sakura and Mikoto. I appreciate you being there for them while I was away, but since I'm back now, they don't need you anymore. You're not Mikoto's father, _I_ am. I don't want you interfering in my relationship with her."

"You really think Sakura's just going to let you walk back into her life and pick up where you left her? Or into Junko's life for that matter? The girl doesn't even know you! You've never been there, you're a stranger to her!"

"And you're not her father! You seem to keep forgetting that! Mikoto can and will get to know who her real father is. I'm giving Sakura the time she needs. I love her more than anything, and I deeply regret what I did to her, but in the end if she chooses you over me, I'll accept that. If you are the one that makes her happy, so be it, but I will not bow down and let you steal my daughter from me too!"

"You're not her father either! All you did was sleep with her mother, then walk away for your own damn selfish reasons, and be damned what anyone else thinks, or how they might feel! That doesn't entitle you to walk back into her life four years later, open your arms and say 'I'm Daddy, come give me a hug and tell me you love me!' Damnit Sasuke, she's just a little girl! You're talking about turning her life upside down, and again it's for your own damn selfish reasons! I may not have fathered Junko, but I've been more of a father to her than you, and I'm not going to stand back and watch you do this to her! She can't defend herself, so I'm going to be the one to step up and do it for her!"

"Her name is Mikoto you son of a bitch! She was named for my mother! And what gives you the right to decide what's right for _my_ daughter anyway? Just because you were there for Sakura, pretending to be Mikoto's father doesn't give you any rights! I'm not going to let you take my daughter away from me! I've lost everything else in my life, but I'm not losing her too!"

"What you've lost, you lost on your own. I don't mean your clan, so just shut up. But it was your choice to ignore all of your friends. It was your choice to walk away from Sakura knowing just how much she loved you. Her love wasn't enough, huh? Revenge was more important than that love? Well guess what Sasuke? This is what you get! This is your reward for thumbing your nose all all of your friends and leaving Sakura alone!"

"I know I made mistakes! I knew I made a mistake not long after I left." Sasuke slumps in the chair, his anger fading away under the weight of guilt. "I also knew that I'd hurt Sakura, and I didn't think she'd ever forgive me. I was scared. That's what it all comes down to. I was too much of a coward to come back and try to make things right again. It's taken me all these years to build up my nerve to come back here. I've missed her so much. I never once stopped thinking about her while I was gone. I've ached for years to have her in my arms again. I had to come back and try to fix things, I had to do something to stop this ache."

"It's still all about you, isn't it Sasuke? I would have thought you'd grow up by now. You're twenty-four years old, but you still act like you did when I first met you twelve years ago. You spend too much time thinking about yourself. You think about _your_ pain, _your_ wants, and not about anyone else. How can you claim to love Sakura when all you can think about is yourself?"

Sasuke's up and across the room before he even thinks about it. Pulling back he punches Kakashi as hard as he can, puting all of his weight and anger behind the one hit, sending the older man tumbling to the floor, the chair laying next to him. Standing over him and shaking with rage, his hands still balled into fists, Sasuke pants, unable to speak. Kakashi just looks up at Sasuke, face bland, giving nothing away. Slowly he lifts a hand and wipes the blood from his mouth, then pushes to his feet. Sasuke continues to glare at the older man, fighting the urge to hit him again, afraid that if he does, he won't be able to stop this time.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it Sasuke?"

Sasuke doesn't remember consciously deciding to go for the kunai, but in the next instant he finds himself standing with the blade in his hand, ready to attack Kakashi. With great effort, he forces himself to step back out of reach of the older man before growling, "Get the hell out of my house, and don't you dare come back here, ever!"

Kakashi doesn't do anything to defend himself. If Sasuke had come at him with the kunai, he'd have just stood there. Never the type to back down, Kakashi also wasn't the type to fight if it could be avoided. Sasuke had needed to hear the truth, and this was the only way Kakashi knew he'd be able to hear it. He also knew well the temper Sasuke had always had. Turning without a word, Kakashi heads for the door. Sasuke needed time to calm down and think before he'd see the truth of the words. Kakashi could only hope that it was enough, for Sakura's sake and for Mikoto's sake.

Sasuke moves across the room and slams the door hard enough to make the windows rattle. He leans against the door, panting through the rage clawing it's way through his mind and body. He drops the kunai to the floor and kicks it across the room, not paying any attention to where it landed. Leaning back against the door, he closes his eyes and fights to regain control of his temper. When at least he begins to calm, the shaking slowly stops and he slides to the floor, still leaning against the door. Leaning his head back against the door, he feels exhaustion sucking at his body. The intense rush of emotion had exhausted him both physically and mentally. After several minutes, Sasuke pushes himself to his feet and moves across the room dropping down onto the edge of the bed, then falling back, staring up at the ceiling.

Loud, insistent knocking wakes Sasuke some time later. Sitting up in the bed, Sasuke rubs his eyes and glances around the room. He instantly remembers Kakashi's visit and what had happened when he sees the chair laying on it's side. Glancing at the window over his desk, Sasuke figures he'd been asleep for no more than a few hours. The daylight was getting weaker, but it was still bright enough that he didn't need the lights yet. Pushing up from the bed, he hurries across the room when the knocking comes again, the pauses just before he pulls the door open, wondering if Kakashi had come back. Instantly he feels himself growing angry and jerks the door open, ready to yell at the older man. Except, it wasn't Kakashi standing at his door.

"Sakura? What are you doing here?"

Before he has time to realize what was happening and react, Sakura had drawn back her fist and punched Sasuke squarely in the mouth, sending him flying backward. Laying on the floor stunned at the strength behind that single punch, Sasuke slowly pushes himself up onto his elbows and peers across the room at Sakura standing in his doorway. Wiping at the blood on his mouth, Sasuke pushes slowly to his feet, but doesn't move back to the door, just standing, staring at Sakura in shock. He didn't think she'd hit him again, but after feeling the strength she put into that one punch, he wasn't in a hurry to test that theory. Instead, he watches her warily, waiting to see what she'd do next.

"Do you feel like a big man, Sasuke? Did it make you feel better to hit Kakashi? Do you think it changes anything?" Sakura pauses and shakes her head, anger keeping her hands fisted at her sides, but she doesn't offer any more violence. Taking a deep breath, she continues. "I don't want you in Junko's life for the very reasons Kakashi gave you, and now for this reason too. Junko loves Kakashi, and I won't have you trying to make her choose between the two of you! In the end though, it's _my_ decision who's in her life! You'd best remember that!"

Turning on her heel, Sakura storms out of Sasuke's room, slamming the door behind her. Sasuke jumps slightly from the loud bang. Letting out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding, he backs up until his legs bump the edge of his bed, and he sits abruptly, staring at the door. Slowly Sakura's words sink in and Sasuke's shoulders slump. Groaning, her lowers his face into his hands and mutters a soft, heartfelt curse, knowing then just how badly he'd messed everything up tonight, all because of his temper. Lifting his head again, he looks around the room, not really seeing anything as he feels the first stinging prickles of tears behind his eyelids. Rather than cry, Sasuke takes a deep breath and pushes to his feet again, determination beginning to fill him. He'd come back to make things right, not to make them worse. He was going to make things right even if it killed him!


	5. Chapter 5

As time passed, Sasuke stayed home more often than not. When he did have to go out he avoided crowds, and if he saw anyone he knew, he always slipped away before they saw him. After the unexpected encounter with Sakura, Sasuke just wanted to be left alone to think. Eventually, as both Kakashi and Sakura knew would happen, Sasuke comes to his senses, and feeling like a complete fool, bundles himself into his cloak and slips out into the gently falling snow late one afternoon to go make things right with Kakashi. He took his time on the walk through the snow, using the time to help build up his nerve. He felt bad for losing his temper like he did and saying what he'd said, and having to face Kakashi again made him feel worse. Trying to ignore the embarrassment, Sasuke hunches his shoulders under the cloak, peeking out from under the hood at the few people out and about in the miserably cold weather.

Stopping at Kakashi's front door, Sasuke peers out from under his hood once more. Feeling guilt, embarrassment and a nervous fear tying his stomach in knots, Sasuke has to force himself to step up to the door and knock. Taking one last deep breath in a weak attempt to calm himself, Sasuke squares his shoulders as the door opens. To his surprise, it's not Kakashi that stands in the doorway, but Iruka once again. Sasuke has a brief moment to wonder why Iruka was at Kakashi's again before he notices the unfriendly look he was receiving from his former sensei. Sasuke wonders idly if he'd missed Kakashi again, thinking he'd gone on another mission perhaps, but makes himself ask anyway.

"Is Kakashi home? I wanted to talk to him."

"I don't think there's anything you could possibly have left to say to him. Or is that a euphemism for coming to beat him up again?"

Sasuke opens his mouth to answer, but is cut off by Kakashi's voice coming from behind Iruka. "That's enough Iruka. He hardly beat me up. He lost his temper and punched me once, and that was it. Either way, I can take care of myself, you don't need to protect me."

Kakashi steps up behind Iruka with a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke remains silent, frowning slightly under his hood as he watched the two older men. When Kakashi steps up beside Iruka, Sasuke remains silent, thinking for a moment that he'd been forgotten and that the two were going to start arguing. Sasuke watches the look that passes between the two men and realization dawns in his mind. Surprised, Sasuke takes a half step back but continues to remain silent, not wanting to interrupt the two lovers. Everything clicked into place with that look that passed between the two men and left Sasuke feeling a bit foolish for not having realized it sooner. He'd always had a feeling that Iruka was gay from his first days at the academy, but he'd never gotten an inkling that Kakashi was gay as well. Ducking his head to hide a smile, Sasuke lifts a hand, rubbing at his face under the hood, listening to the two men before him.

"Maybe you don't need to be protected, but that doesn't mean I don't want to. The thought of anyone hurting you upsets me."

Kakashi laughed at that and Sasuke lifted his head to look at the two again as Kakashi spoke. "You must be upset much more often than I know. I'm a ninja, I'm always getting hurt in some fashion or other. Besides, I can take much more damage than one angry punch from Sasuke can give me."

Sasuke fought not to grin as Iruka blushed at this. Sasuke averted his eyes, unsure why, when Kakashi reached up and tugged his mask down, leaning in to kiss Iruka tenderly. When Sasuke looks back Iruka is gone and Kakashi is standing in his doorway, arms crossed over his chest, his face neutral as he peered at Sasuke. Clearing his throat, Sasuke shifts his weight from one foot to the other, squirming under the weight of his former sensei's gaze for the first time in several years. When he thinks he's gonna go crazy from nerves, Sasuke squares his shoulders and draws a breath to speak, but Kakashi cuts him off, speaking first.

"Ok Sasuke, you're here, I'm here. What do you want?"

Sasuke blinks at the older man, then nods his head. "I want to apologize for what I said and for what I did. You're right, and I guess I knew it when you said it, but I wasn't ready to hear it yet. Rather than face that truth, I lashed out at you." Sasuke pauses as another thought clicks into place making him feel even more foolish than ever. He'd all but accused Kakashi of trying to sleep with Sakura. Clearly that wasn't the case. Feeling the heat rising in his cheeks, Sasuke forces himself to continue. "What I should have done, and what I'm doing now, is thank you. Thank you for taking care of Sakura while I was off being stupid. Thank you for being there for Mikoto since I wasn't. Thank you for taking care of my family since I wasn't."

Kakashi stands silently, face still neutral as he looks at Sasuke. After several minutes he nods his head, but doesn't uncross his arms, and the neutral look remains on his face. "Thank you, Sasuke. I'm glad you've finally come to your senses. I'm not the only one you owe an apology too, however. I appreciate you being man enough to come admit you were wrong and apologize, but there's someone else that deserves a bigger apology."

Sasuke nods and lets his head drop forward, shame washing over him again. "I did apologize, but I don't think I did it right. I know I didn't do it enough. I don't think I ever can apologize enough." Sasuke takes a deep breath and lets it out in a sigh. "I'll spend the rest of my life apologizing to her, trying to make it up to her if she'll let me. And Mikoto too. I know I don't deserve either of them, but I love them both so much, I..." Sasuke falls silent and turns his head to the side, wiping at the tears dampening his cheeks.

Kakashi sighs, and Sasuke hears him shift in the doorway a moment before he feels the older man's hand settle on his shoulder. "I know you do, Sasuke. You're going to have to give her time though. You really hurt her when you left. When she realized she was pregnant it hurt even more. That's a lot of hurt to just forget. She needs to heal. Now that you're back she can begin that healing process. Your apology will help. Just don't push her, ok? Give her room and time. I know she still loves you."

Sasuke looks back at Kakashi, feeling hope returning once again, but it was a small and uncertain hope. Nodding, Sasuke clenches his hands at his sides, squaring his shoulders. "I will. Thank you. Thank you for everything." Sasuke turns to head back to his own rooms but stops, looking back over his shoulder. "And I really am sorry Sensei. Tell Iruka I'm sorry. I'll tell him myself the next time I see him."

Kakashi smiles at being called Sensei again. It had been many years since Sasuke had called him that. Shaking his head, but still smiling, Kakashi lifts a hand and waves to Sasuke before turning and going back inside, closing the door behind him. Sasuke watches the door close, then turns back around and heads back for his own rooms, feeling the cold flakes of snow melting against his face as he walked, mingling with the warm tears that were still flowing slowly. By the time he reached home, the tears had stopped and he felt more confidant than he had in a long time. He was going to make this right, he knew it.


	6. Chapter 6

The next time Sasuke saw Sakura, it was an accidental encounter, and one that left him stunned. Arriving at Naruto's to talk to his old teammate, he meets Sakura as she's leaving. He stops, blinking at her in surprise. It takes him a few moments to realize that she wasn't alone. Standing next to her, clutching her hand and looking curiously up at him was their daughter. Staring at the child for a moment, Sasuke feels his heart swell with pride. Smiling tentatively at the child for a moment, Sasuke feels a wave of guilt and anger wash over him. He'd already missed so much of her life, and his own stupid acts could keep him from being there for any more of her life. Stepping back out of the way so that Sakura didn't feel she had no choice but to stay and talk to him, Sasuke turns his gaze back up to her face, not surprised to see the tension there.

"Hello, Sakura. I didn't know you were going to be here. It's good to see you again. I've been trying to get word to you, I wanted to speak to you, but..." Sasuke lets his words trail off, then shrugs slightly. He knew she was getting his messages and just ignoring them, but he didn't want to bring that part up.

"Hello, Sasuke. I've been really quite busy recently, I haven't had much time for socializing. Junko has been spending the past couple of nights with her friends while I was on a mission. I was just on my way home. I'm really quite tired, and I still need to make her dinner and give her a bath before she goes to bed. Maybe we could talk some other time."

Sasuke nods, trying to hide the pain that her words brought. He didn't deserve any less than she was giving him. He starts to turn away, to let Sakura return home when he feels a faint tugging at his cloak. Glancing down, he looks into Sakura's eyes, staring up at him from his own face. Sasuke feels slightly dizzy from the effect of the melding of the two features into one beautiful child much as he had the first time he'd seen her. When she smiles at him, he feels his heart break again. It was a smile he'd never thought he'd see again. It was Sakura's smile. Smiling back at his daughter, Sasuke kneels down to greet his daughter for the first time. He glances up at Sakura once, trying to reassure her with one quick look that he wouldn't reveal what she didn't wish their daughter to know.

"Well hello pretty little lady. You've not only got your mother's eyes, you've got her lovely smile."

Mikoto smiles at him again, visibly preening from his compliments. Sasuke has to fight not to smile at this, seeing so much of himself in his daughter in that moment. Mikoto steps closer to her father, giving him a very good look before stepping back and taking her mother's hand once more. "You know what? You look like Mommy's teammate from before. Except you're bigger. Mommy said the picture was from a long time ago, and that her friend looked different now. Maybe he looks like you!"

Sasuke glances up at Sakura, getting her permission before he speaks. He sees the hesitation on her face and starts to come up with an answer that wouldn't betray who he was, fearing that perhaps Sakura had told their daughter that the man in the picture was her father. When Sakura nods, he's surprised, but doesn't question it, only smiles at his daughter. "Well, you know why I look like him? Because I _am_ him. You see, I used to be your Mommy's teammate a long time ago when we were young."

Mikoto stares into his face, jade eyes gone wide with surprise. "You're Mommy's old friend! She used to talk about you a lot. 'Specially with Uncle Naruto and Aunt Hinata. I think Uncle Naruto missed you a whole lot, just like Mommy did. Uncle Naruto will be happy 'cause you're back. Are you going to go see him?"

Sasuke glances up briefly, trying not to smile at the blush creeping up Sakura's cheeks. Instead, he keeps his attention on their daughter. "Oh, well, I've already seen your Uncle Naruto once. I'm just going to see him now, that's why I'm here." Sasuke pauses and glances up at Sakura again, then looks back at Mikoto, smiling. "But, it's much too cold out here to stand talking about things that happened a long time ago. I think we better let your Mommy take you home, and I should go see your Uncle Naruto. He probably thinks I'm not going to come I'm so late."

Mikoto shakes her head, grinning at him. "No, not Uncle Naruto. He doesn't mind waiting. He's used to it, he said so."

Sasuke lofts both eyebrows at this and glances up at Sakura. He grins at her attempts to hide a smile, then shakes his head and looks back at Mikoto again. "Well, that's probably because he's a Daddy now. Daddy's have to be willing to wait." He winks at the girl, then pushes back to his feet, looking at Sakura again. "When you have the time, I'd like it if you'd stop by. I want to talk to you about what happened the last time we saw each other."

Sakura shifts her weight and looks down at her smiling daughter for a moment before she replies. "I know, Sasuke. I talked to Kakashi about it."

Sasuke waits for a moment to see if she's going to say anything else, then nods his head. "Any time you're ready. It was nice seeing you again, really." He turns his attention back down to Mikoto one last time. "It was nice to finally get to meet you too, Junko. Take care of your Mommy, ok?"

Sasuke feels his heart swell with pride again as he watches his daughter step in front of her mother. "I will! I'm gonna be a ninja some day, just like Mommy! And I'm gonna be the best ninja in the village, just like my Daddy was!"

Sasuke blinks at this and looks up at Sakura, but she doesn't say a word and avoids his gaze. Just before she walks past him, he notices the blush on her cheeks. Standing in stunned silence long after she was gone, Sasuke slowly grins. So, Sakura had talked of him to their daughter. He was curious what she'd said, but he had no intention of pushing her on it. He knew she'd tell him when he was ready. Shaking his head, he turns back to Naruto's and walks up to the door and knocks. He's still grinning, probably looking like a fool when Naruto comes to the door, arguing gently with his daughter. Sasuke stands and watches the two, grinning wider, but also feeling an ache in his chest because he wanted to have moments like this with his own daughter.

"I told you, it's Minato's turn. You can have it back later when he's done playing with you. You have to share with your brother, Kushina." Sighing, Naruto turns his attention to Sasuke and looks mildly embarrassed to have answered the door while arguing with his head-strong daughter. "Hey Sasuke, sorry about that. Come on in man, it's good to see you again."

Naruto steps back, pulling his daughter with him as Sasuke steps into the house, smiling down at the girl. Glancing around, Sasuke spots Minato where he sits in a corner of the room, playing with a small stuffed kunai toy, studiously ignoring his twin sister. Sasuke hides a smile by turning to take his cloak off and hanging it on a hook near the door. When he sits to take his shoes off, Kushina flops down next to him, crossing her arms over her chest and cutting glares at both her brother and her father. Sasuke smiles at the girl, but says nothing, curious to see how much longer it would be before she exploded. This was only the second time he'd met the girl, but even in the brief time he'd known her, he could tell the girl was just like her father.

As soon as he'd gotten his shoes off and stood again, the moment he'd been expecting arrived. Jumping to her feet, Kushina begins to charge across the room to her brother, blonde hair flying out behind her. With an ease that told Sasuke that this was a regular occurrence, Naruto reaches out and grabs the back of Kushina's shirt and pulls her to a halt. Picking the child up under his arm and trying to ignore her tantrum and the kicks and hits that came with it, Naruto led Sasuke to a chair and motioned for him to take a seat. Naruto said something that Sasuke couldn't hear over the loud complaints of the child. When Sasuke just shakes his head, Naruto rolls his eyes and holds up one finger then turns and heads out of the room, the screaming not seeming to grow any quieter no matter how far they went.

Sasuke glanced over at Minato sitting on the floor, watching the look on the boy's face. He was torn between happiness that his sister wouldn't steal his toy, and loyalty to her. He understood that look. When the screaming and yelling from the girl abruptly stops, Sasuke turns his head and looks back over his shoulder, surprised. He turns back around, smiling at Minato, though the boy didn't seem to be paying much attention to him. Sudden loud protests followed by piteous crying breaks the silence and brings Minato to his feet. The boy moves halfway across the room, the toy forgotten on the floor behind him at the sound of his twin's distress. Turning, he watches a doorway behind him, and a few moments later Hinata hurries through. She stops abruptly, blushing when she sees that the disharmony in her family was being witnessed by someone outside of the family.

"S-sasuke! I'm... It's good to see you. I'm sorry about all this." She hurries over to Minato and bends down, whispering something to the boy, then hurries past him out of the room.

Sasuke sits back and smiles to himself. Hinata hadn't changed much, except for the fact that motherhood clearly agreed with her. She was pretty when they were children, but as an adult and a mother, she was beautiful. Turning his attention back to Minato, he motions the boy closer, smiling encouragingly at him. "It's ok Minato, I'm sure your Mommy and Daddy will have this all fixed soon. I know how you feel though. I had a big brother and he didn't like playing with me much either."

Minato turns his attention to Sasuke, then moves to sit on a chair a little ways away from him. Sasuke smiles at the sight of the boy climbing into the chair, and found himself thinking about the time when he'd have his own son. Once Minato had himself settled, legs curled under him, he looks back at Sasuke to reply. "No, 'Shina is mad. She doesn't like to share, but Daddy makes her. She's gonna be mad at me the rest of the night." Minato sighs and hunches down further into the chair.

Sasuke is unsure what to say, so he just remains silent, waiting for Naruto to come back from dealing with his unruly daughter. A memory of something Sakura had said to him not long after they were made into their four man team, fresh out of the academy comes to him. Chuckling softly, he makes it a point to tell Sakura that she was quite wrong about why Naruto acted like he did. It wasn't being an orphan that made him the wild, short tempered boy that he had been. Kushina had both of her parents, but was already showing signs of having the same temper her father had as a kid. Sighing, Sasuke settles back in the chair, wondering briefly if he was going to get the chance to talk to Sakura about that or anything else. She was so determined to avoid him.

Silence from the back of the house came a few moments before Naruto's return. Walking into the room, he picks up his son and sits down in the chair, settling the child into his lap and wrapping his arms around him as the child snuggled into him. Sasuke smiled at the familial bliss, but doesn't say anything. Looking around the room, Sasuke takes his first real good look at the house Naruto and Hinata were raising their family in as he let his friend recover from his fight with his young daughter. There was something about the house that reminded him of his own childhood home. Feeling an old familiar ache, Sasuke sighed quietly and continued to look around the room, wondering if he could go back now that he was older.

Naruto draws him from his thoughts when he speaks. "I'm really sorry about that. I'm not sure what's wrong with Kushina today. She's not normally that hard to calm down." Naruto pauses and grins at Sasuke from across the room. "Hinata says we're too much alike, that's why I have so much trouble with her. I don't know about that, but Hinata always has better luck calming her down than I do."

"She's probably right. I can't imagine how two people with your short temper could ever come to any kind of understanding." Sasuke chuckles quietly, then shakes his head, thinking for a moment before he speaks again. "You look tired man. Maybe we should save our visit for another day. I've got some errands I should really get done anyway. When's your next mission? I can come by again some time after you get back."

"Actually, neither of us have any missions for a while. Grandma Tsunade is giving us some time off. We've both been so busy with missions here lately we were starting to get afraid that Minato and Kushina would forget about us." Naruto pauses, considering for a moment before he continues. "I'll tell you what, why don't you come over and have lunch with us tomorrow afternoon. Kushina should be over her tantrum by then, and you can get to know both of the kids."

Sasuke nods and pushes to his feet. "Sure, that sounds good to me. I don't have any plans for tomorrow, and who knows when Lady Hokage is going to start sending me in missions again. I think she's still angry, not that I blame her." He holds up a hand when Naruto starts to stand up, then moves over to the door, sitting to pull his shoes on as he speaks. "No, stay there, no need to get up. Besides, Minato looks so comfortable in your lap, I'd hate to take you away from him."

Sasuke smiles at Naruto and his son, then stands up and grabs his cloak and throws is over his shoulders. He pauses for a moment, then glances towards the back of the house. "Tell Hinata I said goodnight. And I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you then man!"

Sasuke smiles one last time at his friend, then pulls the door open and steps out into the cold. He moves slowly through the quickly darkening evening, letting his thoughts wander to nothing in particular as he moved towards home. He paused once, just standing there, breathing in the cold air. At that moment, standing in the cold, looking around at the quiet village, Sasuke began to realize just how much he had missed the place while he was gone, and that he might be able to go back home again without the pain overwhelming him. The thought of raising his family in the home he'd been raised in filled him with pride and a warm contentment. First, he knew he had to win Sakura's heart again. Nodding to himself, he sets off again, humming quietly to himself.


	7. Chapter 7

Sasuke was laying in the dark on his bed, his fingers were twined under his head as a pillow. He watched the shadows moving across his ceiling, though he wasn't really seeing them. He'd replayed his earlier encounter with his daughter so many times, he felt like he was reliving it. Eventually his mind drifted to the memory of Naruto and his children, Hinata coming to the rescue when father and daughter seemed destined to never come to common ground. Those were the moments that Sasuke missed the most. He hadn't been there for Mikoto's birth and that would always tear at his heart, but what he felt most like he'd missed out on was the little scenes of daily life with both Sakura and their daughter. A temper tantrum, a discipline rejected with a child's pleas, just sitting, holding his daughter in his lap as she snuggled against him knowing that there was no where else in the world that she would ever be as safe as she was right there in his lap.

Sasuke makes a small sound of frustration, trying not to let his anger with himself overwhelm him. Sasuke knew his anger wasn't going to help the situation and could very easily lead him to do something stupid again. He was afraid that if he did do something stupid again Sakura would never forgive him. His life would be over if Sakura ever reached that point. He couldn't live without her or their daughter. He'd never love anyone else, and he didn't want to. It took him five years away from her, and coming back home once more, seeing her again to realize that. The price he paid for the simple truth was much too high, but the price it had exacted from Sakura was so much higher than his, and Mikoto was paying the highest price of all.

A soft knock at his door draws Sasuke's attention, pulling him from his musings. Sitting up, he rubs at his face, surprised to feel tears there. Standing up quickly, Sasuke moves across the room to the door, wiping the tears from his face. Without bothering to turn on a light, Sasuke pulls the door open. Surprise stops him, and it takes him a few moments to recover. Feeling his mouth hanging open like a fool, Sasuke closes it as heat creeps up his cheeks, glad that he hadn't bothered with a light. The thin moonlight and the shadows hid him, but they outlined Sakura perfectly, making her seem almost ethereal. Sasuke starts to reach out to touch her, wanting to feel the softness of her cheek against his fingertips again, but he stops himself before he touches her. Stepping back, he turns the movement of his arm into a gesture, inviting her into his room.

"I didn't wake you did I, Sasuke?" Sakura asks as she steps past him.

"No, I wasn't asleep. I was just laying around thinking." Sasuke closes the door, then moves over to his desk and flips on the small light that sat on top of it. It did little to illuminate the whole room, but that small pool of light was better than complete darkness. He wanted to see Sakura, because he didn't know when he'd get this chance again.

"I'm sorry to come over so late. I hadn't planned on coming over." Sakura turns away from him and walks across the room, looking out a window, hands clasped behind her back. Sasuke could tell she was nervous, but he didn't say a word, waiting to see if she had more to say. When she starts talking again, he steps back and sits on the edge of the chair at his desk. "After what happened earlier... I knew I couldn't keep you from Mikoto. She's started asking questions recently. Questions about you. About her father. Then, seeing how you two interacted today..." Sakura trails off, shoulders tense.

"What is is Sakura?"

"Just because I'm angry at you, that's no reason for me to deny my daughter her heritage. I said that before right? Well, I was thinking tonight as she went on and on about you while she had her bath, that on the other side of the same token, it isn't fair to deny her a chance to know her father just because I'm angry and hurt. I don't have to take you back into my heart, back into my life, to let you be a part of her life. She likes you Sasuke, she really does. She'll be so excited to know that you are her father."

Sasuke sits perfectly still, watching Sakura, careful not to make a sound. He was afraid in that moment that if he drew attention to himself she'd change her mind. He wanted Sakura back in his life, but he wanted his daughter in his life even more. He hadn't realized until that moment just how much he wanted to have his daughter in his life until Sakura came offering him just that. If he had Mikoto in his life, he'd always have a small part of Sakura with him as well, no matter what she decided about their relationship. He wasn't sure if that would help or hurt, but he wanted so very much to find out.

Sakura turned back around to face him, her body still tense. "I'd have come earlier, but it took me a while to come to this decision, and then I had to find someone to stay with Mikoto until I got home. I'd all but given up on being able to come see you tonight until Ino stopped by to return one of my books on medicine. I sent a message to Kakashi through Ino, he's with Mikoto now. If she wakes up, she's so used to having him around, I thought he was the best choice." Sakura stops talking and frowns, as if she'd just realized she was babbling.

Sasuke stands slowly, nervous, but needing to be closer to Sakura. He takes a few hesitant steps, watching for her reaction. When she shows no signs that she didn't want him moving closer, Sasuke moved slowly across the room until he was standing in front of Sakura, looking down at her. He had to clench his hands into fists at his sides to keep from reaching out to touch her. At that moment he ached to touch her more than he ever had in the past, the need nearly overwhelming him until he's afraid he's going to have to move back from her. Taking a deep breath, Sasuke manages to get control of his wildly twisting emotions and lets his hands rest at his sides. When Sakura turns her head up to look at him, the faint light from his desk lamp falls across her face and he can see the same uncertain twist of emotion play across her face.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Sakura... I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I left you. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." Sasuke pauses, looking into the jade eyes that haunted his dreams while he was gone and stops resisting the urge that filled him. Lifting a hand, he reaches out and cups his hand over her cheek, fingertips brushing lightly across the soft skin. "I missed you so much. I ached night after night to hold you in my arms again. I had begun to fear I'd never get that chance again, I'd hurt you so badly."

"Sasuke, I can't-"

"No, tonight is not a night for what we can't do, but what we can do. I'm not trying to push you into accepting me, I just want to let you know how I feel. I can't take back the mistake I made, but I can promise you that I'll never make such a stupid mistake again. I can promise you that I never stopped loving you, and I never will stop loving you. I just need you to know that Sakura."

Sakura stands looking up at Sasuke, her eyes slowly filling with tears. Wanting to look away before the pain joined the tears in her eyes, Sasuke forces himself to stand, looking into her eyes, willing his love to heal the hurt he'd caused. Lifting his other hand to rest lightly on her other cheek, Sasuke leans in, pausing when their lips were only a breath apart. He continues to look into Sakura's eyes until they slowly closed. Taking that invitation, Sasuke takes that last breath, brushing his lips in the barest touch against Sakura's. A shiver runs down the length of his body and Sasuke moves closer to Sakura, pressing his lips a little more firmly against hers, tasting her lips with his tongue in a single soft brush. When an answering shiver runs through Sakura, Sasuke steps back, breaking the kiss and letting his hands drop to his sides once more.

"I can't do this. I can't. I'm sorry, Sasuke."

When Sakura moves past him, heading for the door, Sasuke moves to follow her but stops, holding out one hand in a silent plea. He doesn't speak, doesn't try to stop her. He hadn't meant to push her, but being so close to her again undid any self control he might have otherwise had. Sasuke watches as Sakura stops at the door, hand on the doorknob, but not opening it, but still he remains silent, not knowing what to say, how to undo all of the mistakes he'd made. When Sakura's head drops forward, her shoulders slumping as if in defeat, Sasuke moves quickly across the room to stand behind her, but just out of reach so that should temptation arise again, he can't reach out and touch her again. Still, Sasuke can't find the words to erase the mistakes of the past, and he gives up trying.

"Sasuke, I meant what I said. I want you to be a part of Mikoto's life. If you still want to know your daughter, I'll bring her to see you tomorrow night."

Sasuke nods, then remembering that Sakura couldn't see him with her back turned to him, he speaks. "Yes, I do. Very much. If you're sure this is what you want. Please don't feel pressured by me. I want you to do what's best for Mikoto."

Sakura pulls the door open and steps out into the cold night air before she replies. "I think this is for the best for Mikoto. I don't know if it's for the best for me, though. My body still aches for your touch Sasuke, but my heart still hurts from your betrayal." Shaking her head, Sakura closes the door behind her, leaving Sasuke staring after her, tears filling his eyes once again.


	8. Chapter 8

Sasuke stood next to Naruto, trying to listen to him, trying to pay attention to the conversation they were having, but it was hard. His attention kept drifting across the room to Sakura. Every time he looked at her, he remembered the kiss they'd shared the night before. Occasionally he caught her looking across the room at him, and she'd quickly look away. He tried not to smile at those times, fearing if she caught him smiling, she'd get mad. That temper was always one of his favorites of all of Sakura's traits. After the punch he'd taken from her the night he'd punched Kakashi, he wasn't in any hurry to get her temper up again, not when she was likely to lay him out. Still, when she looked at him, his heart lightened. He knew she was thinking about the kiss too, and he felt it was a good sign.

"Sasuke! Aren't you listening to me?"

"Sorry Naruto, guess I'm a little distracted today. What'd you say?"

"Yeah, and I know what's distracting you. I personally don't see why you two don't just get back together. I know you still love her, and I'm pretty sure that under all that pain and anger, she still loves you. Hinata won't say one way or the other, but I know they talk a lot." Naruto stops and shrugs, looking at his wife, smiling fondly at her before turning his attention back to Sasuke. "Anyway, I was just saying that Grandma Tsunade is getting pretty close to naming the sixth Hokage. I've tried to get her to tell me who she's picked, but she won't tell me a thing."

"Well, unless things changed drastically while I was gone, I'd think the only one she could pick would be Kakashi." Sasuke holds up a hand to stop Naruto's protests, then continues. "It's nothing against you, but you're still awfully young to be Hokage. You might well be Hokage one day, but I just don't think you're ready yet. Besides, do you really think you need the added responsibility? You're a husband and a father now."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But I also know that I can handle both jobs. I want my kids to be proud of me, just like I'm proud of my dad. He was the fourth Hokage man, that's an amazing feeling to have. I want my kids to have that feeling too."

"Well, if Tsunade doesn't pick you to be the Sixth, that doesn't mean that your kids will never get that chance. You're still young man, you've got lots of years ahead of you as long as you don't do anything stupid on a mission. Or, at least, nothing more stupid than usual for you." Sasuke laughs as he dodges the punch from Naruto, then continues more seriously. "Really though, you've got a lot of life left in front of you. Kakashi could easily name you as his successor, make you the Seventh. Your kids would be just as proud of you then. Maybe more so, because they'll be old enough to understand then."

"Yeah, I know. You're right. But I've wanted this for as long as I can remember. And once I finally found out who my dad was, that made me even more determined to be Hokage."

The conversation is interrupted when Mikoto runs over to Sasuke and grabs his hand, tugging at it. "Sasuke! Momma said that I could ask you if you wanted to come play with me and 'Shina and Minato. We're gonna play a game and I wanted Momma to play, but she says she's too tired to play, and Aunt Hinata wants to stay with Momma."

Sasuke looks down at his daughter and smiles warmly at her. Kneeling down so that he could be closer to her height, making it easier on her to look into his eyes. "What about your Uncle Naruto? You didn't ask him. You don't want to hurt his feelings do you?"

Mikoto glanced up at Naruto, then looked back at her father and leaned closer to him, dropping her voice into an almost whisper to reply. "But he's not so good at the game we were gonna play."

Sasuke has to fight not to laugh. He glances up at Naruto, and seeing the pained look on his face, nearly loses his battle with the laugh he felt building up inside of him. Turning his attention back to his daughter, he smiles at her then shakes his head slowly. "Maybe another time, Junko. I actually have to be leaving pretty soon. I've got some things I need to do before it gets late. But, I can promise you that I will play with you another day."

Mikoto drew her face up in a look somewhere between a pout and a scowl and Sasuke found himself fighting laughter again. At that moment he wasn't sure who she reminded him more of, himself or Sakura. Sighing in obvious exasperation, Mikoto tilts her head to the side, peering up into his eyes. "Are you sure you can't just stay for a little while?"

"I'm sorry, but no. I've really got to get going if I want to get my errands done before dark. I'm going to be here for the rest of your life though, so we'll have plenty of times to play anything you want as often as you want."

Mikoto narrows her eyes at him, little hands balling into fists at her side. "You really mean that?"

Sasuke had a feeling that if he broke that promise, her temper would rival her mother's and she'd make him pay. Trying not to give away the fact that he found her an adorable, smaller version of her mother, Sasuke gives her his most serious, solemn look as he nods. "Yes, I really mean that. When I say I'm going to do something, I do it."

Mikoto looks at him for a while longer, clearly trying to decide if she could trust him or not, then nods and spins on her heel and runs back over to her mother and her friends. Sasuke watches her for a moment, just catching the look of surprise Sakura shoots him from across the room before he looks back at Naruto. Standing back up, he tries to ignore the strange looks he's getting from his friend. Sasuke turns his head and watches his daughter play with Naruto's children for a few moments longer before looking back at Naruto again, his face perfectly blank. He wasn't going to answer questions, and he didn't want to give away anything with the wrong look.

"I know you're up to something, Sasuke. But I also know you well enough to know there's not much point in my trying to get you to tell me what it is if you don't want to. If you really have something you need to go do, I'm not gonna try and stop you. It's too bad you couldn't hang out longer."

"Yeah, I really do need to go. You'll know soon enough what it is, but not now. Maybe next time I'll be able to stay longer. I have plans tonight though, and I have a few things I need to take care of first."

Unable to stop himself, Sasuke glances over at Sakura again. Naruto catches this glance and gets an idea of what those plans are. He grins at Sasuke, but just shakes his head. "Ok man, whatever you say. You better come by again soon, and plan on staying a little longer. I'd like to finish this discussion we were having."

"Sure Naruto, I will." He pauses when Sakura and Hinata walk over. Smiling at first one, then the other, Sasuke takes a step back so he's outside of the group. "Thank you for having me over Hinata. As I was just telling Naruto, I have something I need to take care of, or I'd stay around longer."

"Are you sure? Do you really need to go?"

"Yeah, I'm afraid so. But I'll see you again I'm sure." Sasuke turns his gaze to Sakura, but continues to speak to Hinata. "I'm never going anywhere ever again, so there's plenty of time to get together."

Sakura blushes at the double meaning behind what he said, and turns away, hurrying across the room to their daughter as if she felt the child needed her. Sasuke turns his attention back to Hinata and smiles at her one last time. "Again, thank you for lunch. Goodbye you two."

Turning away from the two, Sasuke moves across the room and sits to pull his shoes on. He glances once at his daughter, smiling and waving when she looks his way, then stands and pulls his cloak on. Settling it and pulling it closed tightly, he opens the door and slips out into the cold. Looking up, he watches the snow come drifting down, feeling the cold bite of the tiny flakes as they settle on his face. Taking a deep breath of the cold air, Sasuke, squares his shoulders and sets off on his mission. He moves quickly through the silent, mostly empty streets of the village, paying little heed to the cold and the snow, his mind set on his goal. He stops and looks up at the crest of the Uchiha clan, faded and worn after so many years, then steps into his clan's compound, heading back home for the first time since he was a kid.


	9. Chapter 9

Sasuke sat on the edge of his bed, trying not to think about how nervous he was. He knew the instant he let himself recognize just how nervous he was, he'd get up and pace the room, making himself even more nervous. He didn't know what he was so nervous about, it wasn't like him to be nervous about anything. He was normally so confident, but when it came to his daughter and Sakura that confidence wasn't there. He was pretty sure he could live without Sakura, though he didn't want to try. He'd never love anyone else, ever. She was the only one for him. Mikoto was another matter entirely. Now that he knew he had a daughter, now that he knew her, he couldn't imagine his life without her in it. He honestly didn't think he could live without his daughter being part of his life.

Sasuke jumps when the knock he'd been waiting on finally comes. Nearly tripping over his own feet, he jumps up from the bed and starts across the room. He stops in the middle of the room. Closing his eyes he forces himself to calm, taking several slow, deep breathes to settle himself. When he's sure he's going to be able to get to the door without hurting himself or making a fool of himself, he opens his eyes and moves quickly across the room. He pauses to take one last deep breath before he pulls the door open, smiling at Sakura. His gaze immediately flicks down to Mikoto's face, feeling his heart ready to burst with pride at the sight of his daughter, beaming up at him. Sasuke steps back, motioning the two into the room, closing the door behind them.

Sasuke moves across the room and sits on the edge of his bed once again while Sakura went about taking their shoes and cloaks off. Sasuke glances at the items laying on his desk, then looks back across the room at his guests, opening his mouth to say something to the two, but stops at the sight of what Mikoto was wearing. Sakura had changed her from the pink and white dress that she'd been wearing that afternoon. Now, his daughter was dressed in a simple dress of deep blue, but when she turned to hold her cloak up to her mother he saw the fan of the Uchiha clan on her back. Sasuke realizes he's staring, but can't stop himself until Sakura moves into the room and draws his attention to her. She catches his eye and gives him a slight smile, then nods before settling on the chair near his bed.

Mikoto slips her hand free from her mother's and runs over to stand in front of Sasuke. She looks up at him grinning, clearly happy to see him again. "Hi Sasuke! Momma told me we had to go see someone special tonight, but she didn't say who. I'm glad it was you! Maybe now we can play since we didn't get a chance to this afternoon." She pauses and looks back over her shoulder at her mother for a moment before she continues. "If Momma will let me play. She doesn't usually let me play in this dress. This is my special dress."

Sasuke glances at Sakura, but she only smiles fondly at their daughter, not offering anything. Sasuke returns his attention to his daughter once more ad clears his throat before he speaks. "Your special dress, huh? It's very pretty, I can see why your Momma wouldn't want you to mess it up."

Mikoto nods, still grinning at him, though the grin seems to lose some if it's shine as she replies. "Yes." She turns, pointing over her shoulder at her back, then turns back around to face him again before she continues. "That is for my Daddy. Momma says it's the crest of his clan. She says they're my clan too because I'm an Uchiha."

Sasuke smiles at the innocent pride his daughter seemed to be filled with, even with the sad edge to her voice. As much as Kakashi had been like a father to her, and as much as she likely loved the man, she knew he wasn't her father, and at that moment Sasuke realized that she felt the loss of the father she'd never gotten to know. Guilt washed over him in a cold tide, nearly making him shiver. He looks away from the glowing face of his daughter to her mother not too far away, his eyes wide with pain. He opens his mouth to say something, but he doesn't know what he should say. He wants to apologize to the girl, but he can't. Sakura hadn't told her who he was, and he wasn't going to tell her until Sakura thought the time was right.

As if having read his mind, Sakura sits up a little straighter as she speaks. "Junko honey, come here, I need to talk to you." Sakura open her arms to her daughter and once the little girl is standing wrapped in her mother's arms, Sasuke feels his heart begin to slam against his ribs like a caged bird, trying to fly free. "You remember I told you we were going to come see someone special tonight and I had something important to tell you?" Sakura waits for the nod from her daughter, glances at Sasuke, then looks back down at her. "Sasuke is a special person to me, and to you too. Not just because he was my friend when I was little, and not just because he was my teammate. Junko... Sasuke is your Daddy."

Silence fills the room when Sakura stops talking. Time seems to slow to nearly a stop. Seconds feel like a eternity to Sasuke. His heart seems to stop in his chest, his breath catching in his throat. The world comes to a halt as he waits to hear what his daughter says to her mother's announcement. When she turns slowly to look at him, part of Sasuke wants to scream, anything to make time resume it's usual course, the slow motion was quickly driving him mad. The second Mikoto's jade eyes lock on his, the world snaps back into place, time immediately flowing at it's normal pace. The confusion that flits across his daughter's face threatens to stop Sasuke's heart for good. The intense concentration that knits her brow as she considers her mother's words makes Sasuke smile, though he's unaware he's doing so. Slowly, the light of understanding fills her eyes and she turns back around, looking up at Sakura, as if for confirmation on what she'd just heard.

"Yes baby, that's your Daddy."

Mikoto spins back around and looks at Sasuke in surprise, then wriggles out of her mother's grasp as her face begins to light with joy. The moment she's free, Mikoto runs to him and Sasuke slides off the edge of his bed, to kneel on the floor, wrapping his arms around her the moment she gets to him. Choking on a sob, Sasuke feels a happiness that he'd never known he could feel begin to fill his heart, warming his entire body. Standing up, holding his daughter tightly to his chest, Sasuke closes his eyes, just concentrating on the feel of his daughter in his arms. When the tears start to flow, he opens his eyes and looks over at Sakura, and seeing tears shining on her face as well, he holds out a hand to her.

When Sakura steps over to the pair, sliding her hand into Sasuke's, he pulls her closer, wrapping his free arm around her and whispering around his daughter, "Thank you, Sakura."

The three stand, enjoying the warmth of a family at last united. When Mikoto decides that she's had enough she begins to squirm until Sakura steps back and Sasuke lowers her to the floor. Looking down at his daughter and smiling proudly, Sasuke wipes at the tears on his face. Kneeling down in front of her, Sasuke glances up at Sakura once, then back at his daughter. Looking at her as if it were the first time, his gaze travels over every inch of her face, taking in all the little details he'd never noticed before. There was more of Sakura in her than he had at first thought. She was still strikingly similar to him when he was her age, but there were the hints of Sakura that softened her features and promised great beauty when she grew up.

"Daddy?"

"Yes Mikoto?"

"How come you don't live with me and Momma like Uncle Naruto lives with Aunt Hinata and Minato and 'Shina?"

Sasuke feels shame rather than guilt wash over him. He glances away, then makes himself look back at his daughter's earnest face. Glancing up at Sakura, Sasuke takes a deep breath then gets up from the floor, moving to sit on the edge of his bed again. Drawing Mikoto to him, he pulls her up and settles her in his lap, arms wrapped around her as he tries to come up with an explanation that she could understand. "I didn't know that your Momma was going to have you. I left before she found out. I left because there was something I had to do that at the time I thought was more important than being with your Momma. I was stupid, and because of that, I left. I just came back and found out about you not so long ago. If I'd known, I probably never would have left. I wouldn't have been so stupid."

Sasuke finds he can't look at Sakura now. He still felt only shame. At that moment, he wished for the guilt, it was easier to bear than this deep, soul rending shame. Taking a deep breath, he closes his eyes for a moment, then looks at his daughter once more. "Your Momma had to be without me for a long time. I hurt her when I went away. I have to make that up to her. If I do, maybe then I will live with you. But that's up to your Momma. I want you to know Mikoto, even if your Momma never wants me to live with you, I will always be here for you from now on. For the rest of your life you will have a Daddy, I promise."

When he hears her move, Sasuke looks up and sees Sakura's back turned to him. He sighs silently and watches her move back over to the chair. When she turns and sits once more, her face is blank, but he could tell that pain had only recently left her face. Picking Mikoto up, he sets her next to him on the bed, then gets up and moves across the room to his desk. He stands looking down at the things he'd brought home from the Uchiha clan compound earlier that evening. Taking a deep breath, he squares his shoulders and picks up a small bag and walks back over to the bed. Kneeling in front of Mikoto, Sasuke opens the bag and pulls out a very small pouch and holds it out to her.

"This was mine when I was little. They were my very first shuriken. I used to practice with them all the time." He pauses and watches Mikoto pull the small wooden tools from the pouch, her face lighting with joy and making Sasuke's heart clench with love and pride. "I want you to have them so you can become a great ninja and protect your mother just like you said you were going to. But, you have to promise me one thing first."

Mikoto looks up at him expectantly, her face earnest once more. Swallowing a smile, Sasuke clears his throat and continues. "I want you to promise me that until your mother or I tell you otherwise, you won't practice with those unless one of us are with you. Or your Uncle Naruto, Aunt Hinata, Kakashi or Iruka. I want you to have a full ninja with you when your practice. Promise?"

Mikoto smiles at him and nods. "Yes Daddy, I promise. And I'll get really good with these so when I grow up and go to the ninja school I can have real ones!"

Sasuke smiles and nods, then helps the girl strap the pouch to her waist with the belt he'd bought for her to use with it. The belt he'd used was much too large and nearly worn in two. Standing again, he glances at Sakura as he moves back to his desk. When she glances at him and smiles, he nearly trips over his own feet. Turning back to look at his desk, Sasuke clears his throat nervously. He looks at the three items left on the desk and feels his pulse speed once again. Taking a deep breath, he calms himself and picks up two of the three items and moves back to sit next to his daughter on the bed. Picking her up he settles her in his lap once more, arms wrapped around her. He looks at Sakura until she gets up and moves to sit next to them on the bed.

Sasuke hands the framed picture he'd set next to himself on the bed to Mikoto and lets her look at it for a moment before he speaks. "This was my family." He points to each person as he speaks, "That's my mother, Mikoto. She is who your Momma named you for. That's _my_ father, Fugaku. And that little boy right there that looks a lot like you is me. This picture was taken right before I started at the academy." Sasuke pauses and frowns at his brother. When he feels Sakura's hand on his arm, he looks up at her, trying to keep the pain and anger off his face. Seeing her nod, he takes a deep breath and points to his brother. "And that is my older brother, your Uncle Itachi."

Mikoto sits quietly looking at the picture for a long time, reaching out to touch each person in the picture one after another before she speaks. "When do I get to go see them Daddy?"

Sasuke's heart twists with pain, and when his eyes meet Sakura's over their daughter's head he sees pain in her eyes as well. Knowing that she still loved him enough to hurt with him for his loss helped ease some of the pain in his chest. Taking a deep and shaking breath, Sasuke speaks softly, trying not to let the pain slip into his voice. "You can't sweetie, I'm sorry to say. My parents were killed not long after that picture was taken." He pauses for a moment, glancing at Sakura as he continues. "And your Uncle Itachi died recently as well."

Seeing the relief on Sakura's face, he feels a momentary flare of anger that she'd think he'd actually tell their daughter everything. The anger dies quickly however because he knew Sakura well enough to know that she hadn't been thinking anything of the sort. It was more likely that she feared he might not be able to come up with an answer that would satisfy Mikoto on the spur of the moment. She was likely right, but Sasuke had spent all the time between his decision to get the picture and their arrival deciding what he was going to tell Mikoto.

Pushing these thoughts aside, Sasuke reaches down and picks something else up from the bed. Reaching his hand in front of Mikoto, he lets it open just slightly so that the item in his hand could swing into view. It was a small fan, the crest of the Uchiha clan done in red and white, dangling from a thin, gold chain. He hears the delighted gasp from his daughter, but it's the look in Sakura's eyes that really pleases him. She was touched, and a light in her eyes told Sasuke that she had guessed what the significance on the item was to him. He slowly moves his hands to lower the chain over Mikoto's head, then leans over to the side so that he could see her face.

"That was my mother's. I know she'd be proud that her first granddaughter would wear it after her."

Sasuke glances at Sakura and sees the tears in her eyes, knowing at that moment that she had indeed guessed. He sees her open her mouth to say something but is stopped by a sudden frantic knocking at the door. Sasuke barely has time to turn his head and look in that direction before the door bursts open and Naruto rushes in, still fastening his vest, shuriken pouch clenched in his hand. The world slows to a near halt as Sasuke watches his old teammate move into the room, fear starting to build until he thinks he'll scream and reality snaps back into place, time immediately resuming it's normal speed.

"Sasuke, you've got to come with me! Konoha's under attack!"


	10. Chapter 10

Sasuke rocks back as if Naruto's words were a physical blow, leaving him stunned. His arms tighten around Mikoto instinctively when he feels her tense in his lap. Sasuke forces himself to think past the sudden panic that rushed over him. Glancing at Sakura, he stands and settles Mikoto in her lap. He spares only one glance at Naruto before kneeling in front of Sakura, taking Mikoto's hands in his. He tries to comfort his daughter, but realizes he can't find the words. He looks up at Sakura and sees the stubborn determination he'd always admired in her already filling her eyes. Standing, Sasuke moves across the room and pulls his shuriken pouch and his cloak from a hook next to the door. He throws the cloak over his shoulder as he strides back across the room to his daughter, kneeling in front of her once again.

"Don't look that way Mikoto, all will be fine, I'll be sure of that. I'll be back with you before you know it. Now, you listen to your mother and do as she says. I love you, Mikoto. Never forget that."

Sasuke leans in and gives Mikoto a quick kiss on the cheek then stands. He starts to turn away, then stops. Turning back he bends over and captures Sakura's mouth with his, kissing her deeply, puting all of his love into that one kiss, telling her what words could never describe. When he stands again, one hand cupped lightly on her cheek and slightly breathless, he smiles at her. "And I love you. That will never change." Without another thought, Sasuke turns and hurries out the door behind Naruto.

"Naruto, what the hell is going on? What do you mean Konoha's under attack?"

"It's that damn Orochimaru again. He's back to finish what he started all those years ago. I don't know why the hell they let the Sound village get so big. We should have gotten rid of all of them when they attacked us the first time. Now we have to defend ourselves all over again because we let them live."

Before Sasuke can ask any further questions, they are intercepted by Kakashi and three other ninjas. It takes him a few moments to recognize Shikamaru and Asuma, but the third ninja remained a mystery to him. He didn't recognize him, and didn't think this was the best time for introductions, so instead he just scanned the area as he strapped his shuriken pouch on, cursing silently that in his haste he'd run out the door without grabbing his katana. He'd gotten quite proficient with the blade over the years, both while tracking Itachi, and then afterward as he avoided returning to the damage he'd done here at home.

"Naruto, you go join Neji and his group by the gate. Sasuke, this is Kyousuke, you're with his group."

Instructions given, Kakashi turns and vanishes into the rapidly growing crowd of ninjas along with Shikamaru and Asuma. Sasuke turns to the other ninja and takes his first real look at him. They were about the same height, but Kyousuke managed somehow to look both softer and more dangerous. His long auburn hair was pulled back into a severe ponytail at the back of his head. There was something about his look that made Sasuke think of Itachi. Frowning he pushes this thought aside, forcing himself to concentrate on what was more important. Ready to let the other ninja take the lead, Sasuke starts to ask him where they were supposed to head to when someone calls his name.

Turning, Sasuke sees a young ninja running toward him. He doesn't recognize the girl at first until she gets close enough that he can see her eyes. The silver glow of her eyes mark her instantly as one of the Hyuga clan, and with this realization he recognizes her as Hinata's younger sister, Hanabi. He jogs over to meet her as she approaches, and notices that she carried his katana in her hand. Blinking, he reaches out for it, taking it and quickly strapping it into place before nodding his thanks to her. He turns and heads back over to Kyousuke, glancing back over his shoulder once when Hanabi calls to him, already heading off in the other direction herself.

"Sakura sent it, she saw it and thought you might wish to have it. Junko is with her parents and is safe. Sakura is working triage and says for you to not take any foolish risks."

Sasuke chuckles at the last, shaking his head as he sets his pace to match Kyousuke's, following him without thought. "Where are we off to?"

"One of the walls had almost been breached when I went off with Kakashi to gather my group. The rest are there, you were the last. We need to go to that breach."

Sasuke frowns, wondering for a moment how long the attack had been going on before Naruto had come for him. He joins the battle before he has time to give the thought much attention. Turning his attention fully to the battle, Sasuke jumps, runs, spins and continues forward, cutting down enemy ninja as he moves. The body count rises slowly until he finally runs out of shuriken and pulls his blade free of it's sheath, and then the body count jumps. Sasuke doesn't know how many he kills, and doesn't care. He just keeps slicing his way through the enemy, his only thoughts for keeping the village and his daughter in particular safe.

A few cuts, some serious, but none life threatening do little to slow Sasuke. He continues to work his way through the enemy ranks, lost in the rhythm of battle. He stumbles to a halt abruptly, looking around with a slightly dazed expression for the next to taste his blade, and finding no enemy nearby, Sasuke frowns. He moves to the wall and runs up to the top, scanning the immediate area, understanding coming slowly. The enemy, what was left of them, were retreating. He saw other ninjas running off into the woods after them, trying to stop their escape and Sasuke feels a surge of satisfaction and starts to run after them, wanting to join the hunt. He no sooner stiffens to jump from the top of the wall than he feels a hand on his arm. Spinning around, blade at the ready, Sasuke snarls at the ninja that had stopped him.

"You're not going anywhere. They've got it well in hand, go find a medic and have your wounds healed."

Sasuke blinks at Kyousuke for a moment, not recognizing him, still lost in the rage of battle. Turning away, Sasuke grabs his cloak and finds a clean spot to wipe the blood from his blade and he jumps down from the wall. As he moves through the injured and dead, wiping his blade clean, Sasuke finally begins to feel the first pain from all the damage he'd taken. By the time he finds a young ninja running errands and gets directions to the nearest triage, Sasuke is limping and cursing under his breath. Without the flow of adrenaline to fuel him, he couldn't ignore the injuries, and when he stumbles to a stop amongst the other walking wounded, Sasuke is hurting over almost his entire body.

Sliding the blade into its sheath, Sasuke drops to sit on the ground, then slowly lays back, letting himself catch his breath for the first time. Staring up at the moon and the stars, it occurs to Sasuke that quite a bit of time had passed since he'd first run headlong into the battle, flinging shuriken and kunai everywhere. Lost in the killing dance, time had ceased to be for him. When you were fighting for your life, and the lives of those you loved, those you held dearest to you, time ceased to be important. Sasuke closes his eyes, suddenly more tired than he'd ever been in his life. He listens to the thrum of activity around him, not really paying attention to any of it. Feeling warm, trembling hands working along his body, seeking out his wounds, then healing each one after the other, Sasuke opens his eyes. At first he sees only a fall of thick blonde hair, then slowly, as she moves about him, healing the worst of his wounds, stopping the bleeding of the lesser wounds, Sasuke finally see her face.

When she's finished healing him, Ino turns to look at him, her eyes too large, blood and dirt on her face smudged where tears had left tracks. Sitting up slowly, Sasuke takes a deep breath and really looks at Ino. He could tell she had something to say, but she remained silent. Frowning, Sasuke leans closer to her. "Ino? What is it?"

Ino looks away, her voice coming in a whisper so soft, Sasuke has to lean closer to hear her. "It's Sakura... someone got through, I don't know how..." She pauses and turns horrified eyes to look at him before she continues. "She was hurt. There was too much damage. I tried, but I'm not strong enough, I couldn't do anything for her. I just... I ran. Then I found you."

Sasuke stares at Ino, shock and disbelief battling for dominance in his mind. He pushes to his feet, staggering, then stares down at her bent head. He lets her words sink in and shakes his head hard once in denial then turns and runs. He doesn't pay attention to where he's running at first, not thinking, not running for a destination, but running away. Trying to outrun what Ino had said, trying to outrun the horror that threatened to overwhelm him. He doesn't see anyone, hear anyone, or even know that other people existed as he ran through the village, until he runs up on Naruto unexpectedly. He looks at his old teammate and friend, and the look on Naruto's face sends Sasuke running again, but this time he has a goal in mind.

Working his way through the village automatically, Sasuke doesn't lift his head until he reaches the home of Sakura's parents. Slowly he lifts his head and looks up at the door, feeling his heart thudding in his chest, hearing his breath wheezing out in harsh rasps. Slowly he lifts his hand and knocks on the door. When Sakura's mother opens the door, Sasuke feels his heart clench painfully. He opens his mouth to say something to her, but he doesn't know what to say, so he just stands silently, looking at her, trying not to think about how much she looked like Sakura. Hearing a small voice seconds before he feels weight slam into his legs, Sasuke looks down and sees his daughter, looking up at him with a mix of relief and fear.

"Daddy! You're here!"

Sasuke drops slowly to his knees and gathers his daughter into his arms. Rocking back to sit on his heels, Sasuke presses his face into the soft nest of her hair and lets the first sob rip free from his throat. Clinging to his daughter and rocking slowly, Sasuke can only sob as the pain finally catches him, his broken heart bleeding away with each tear the slides down his cheeks.


	11. Chapter 11

Sasuke lifted his head and looked up at Sakura's parents standing in the doorway, looking at him with identical masks of fear on their face. Sasuke opens his mouth to speak, but can only sob. Shaking his head slightly, he buries his face in his daughter's hair, trying not to notice how she was trembling in his arms. He knew it wasn't the cold that made her shake, but he couldn't seem to get control of his emotions. Standing slowly, Sasuke moved first one arm, and then the other so that his cloak opened, then fell closed around his daughter. Without so much as a backward glance, Sasuke turns away from Sakura's parents and heads off into the dark, crying silently now as he held so tightly to his last link to his one true love.

By the time Sasuke got home, he'd managed to gain control of his emotions, but the control left him empty, as if he could feel nothing if he couldn't let the pain free. Stepping into the room, Sasuke kicks the door closed behind him, shutting out the world. Moving silently through the room, he lays Mikoto in his bed, pulling the blanket up over her. The girl was silent, eyes closed, but her cheeks were still wet with tears. Sasuke wanted to say something to comfort her, but he knew it would be even harder to tell his daughter than it would be to tell Sakura's parents. Turning away from her, Sasuke paces across the room to stare unseeing out the window.

A soft sound from behind him makes Sasuke turn. Mikoto was sitting on his bed, still huddled in the blanket and staring at him. The light coming in the window had started to lighten toward dawn, and Sasuke realized that he'd just spent a few hours standing at that window. He turns and makes himself move across the room toward his daughter. He stops as he steps past his desk, something catching his attention. Turning his head to look at the desk, Sasuke frowns, then hurries over and moves around the few papers that were still resting on top of it. Stepping back, he looks around on the floor behind and under the desk. Nearly panicked, Sasuke moves back up to the desk and shoves the papers to the floor.

Sasuke jerks back as if stung when Mikoto slips out of the bed, moving across the room to take his hand. Sasuke closes his eyes and takes a very deep breath, holding it for a moment to calm himself, then turns and kneels in front of his daughter. "I'm sorry Mikoto, I was looking for something. I had a ring I was going to give your Momma. It was my Momma's ring. It was on my desk, but-"

"Momma's wearing it Daddy."

"What?"

"Momma's wearing the ring. After you went away with Uncle Naruto, Momma stood up and saw the ring on the table. She stood and looked at it for a long time and she cried. I thought she was sad, but she picked up the ring and put it on and she was smiling. Momma was crying, but she was happy."

Sasuke smiled absently, automatically trying to soothe his daughter. "Adults do that sometimes Mikoto. We cry when we're really happy. Adults don't make much sense sometimes."

Mikoto nods and steps forward, wrapping her arms around her father, cuddling in against his chest. "You aren't smiling though, Daddy. I can tell you're sad. I'm sorry you're sad, Daddy."

Sasuke feels his eyes well up with tears again, wrapping his arms around his daughter, holding her tightly. "Thank you, Mikoto."

After a few minutes, Sasuke picks her up and carries her back over to the bed. He settles her back into his bed once more and tucks the blanket around her. He sits on the edge of the bed, humming a tune his mother used to hum when she wanted to soothe him when he was younger. When Mikoto finally drifts off to sleep, Sasuke slips off the edge of the bed and sits on the floor. He sits quietly, watching his daughter sleep as light gradually fills the room, trying to figure out how he was going to tell her that her mother was dead. Slowly he begins to drift off, the adrenaline rush from earlier long gone, and now that Mikoto was sleeping, he had nothing to hold exhaustion at bay. He'd just laid his head on the bed when someone pounded on the door.

Jerking awake, Sasuke jumps up and runs over to the door before the pounding has a chance to wake Mikoto. As he yanks the door open, a scathing remark ready for whoever it was pounding on his door so early when his daughter was trying to sleep, Sasuke notices just how much light had filled his room. He'd fallen asleep himself. Not for long, but he had slept as he knelt there on the floor. As if the realization had flipped a switch, Sasuke began to feel tension and aches begin to fill his body. He'd stayed to long in an unnatural position, and his body was protesting now that he was upright and moving. Trying to ignore the pain, Sasuke opens the door the rest of the way, shocked to find Kakashi standing on the other side of his door.

"I don't know why the hell I didn't look here first."

"Kakashi? What are you talking about? What are you doing here?"

"Sakura's parents said you came for Junko, but they didn't know where you'd gone to. They said you just left. I've been all over this damned village looking for you. I even went out there to the Uchiha compound looking for you. I should have just come here first. I guess I'm not thinking any more clearly than anyone else"

"What are you doing here?"

"Lady Hokage sent me to find you. Sakura woke up and was asking for you."

The world spun and retreated, leaving Sasuke in a well of unreality. His ears were ringing and he couldn't feel the door where it was gripped in his hand. He was looking at Kakashi, but it was like he wasn't really seeing the older man, as if he were a memory. When Sasuke speaks, his voice sounds distant and tinny in his ears. "Sakura? But... Ino said Sakura's dead."

"Ino didn't wait around long enough to know one way or the other. She doesn't have enough control yet to be able to do the kind of healing Sakura needed, but luckily, Lady Hokage came along right after she left and was able to do what needed to be done. She sent me to find you. I'll watch Junko, you go to the hospital."

Still dazed, Sasuke steps past him, heading in the direction of the hospital, and after a few steps he's running, tears streaming from his eyes. He doesn't see the destruction as he runs past it. He doesn't see the injured ninjas working beside the uninjured ninjas to help clean up the damage of the battle. He sees nothing, and yet still manages to weave through people, debris and buildings until he finds himself outside Konoha's hospital. He stops and stares up at the building, suddenly apprehensive. When he catches his breath, Sasuke squares his shoulders and hurries into the building. He spots Tsunade immediately and stops in front of her, hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"How is Sakura? Is she really alive?"

"Yes, she's alive. Wait Sasuke!" Tsunade reaches out and takes his arm, pulling him back as he tried to hurry past her to find Sakura. "She was hurt badly. She'd used so much of her chakra trying to heal as many people as she could that she was left weak with exhaustion. She didn't have a chance or the ability to defend herself. I'm still not clear how the man got that close to her because there were so many others nearby." Tsunade stops and shakes her head, clearly angry about the breach. "She took a pretty severe blow to the head, but what almost got her was the kunai that took her in the heart. The damage was massive. I wasn't sure at first I could heal her quickly enough."

"But, you said she's ok now, right?"

"She's not dead, but she's far from all right. Right now it's touch and go. We're all working hard to keep her alive, but her heart took quite a bit of damage. I'm hopeful, but cautious. She's woken up and asked for you several times. I'm going to let you in to see her, but only if you promise to not stay long, and to not upset her. Right now the worst thing you could do for her was get her worked up. She needs to rest."

Sasuke nods but says nothing. When Tsunade starts walking, he falls into step beside her, tension singing along every one of his nerves. When they stop outside of one of the rooms, Sasuke takes a deep breath and holds it for a moment, trying to calm himself before he walks in. He reaches out for the door, but Tsunade stops him with a hand on his arm. "Only a few minutes Sasuke. I mean it."

"I understand."

Giving Tsunade one last look, Sasuke pushes the door open and steps in the room. His heart breaks, threatening to stop completely at the sight of Sakura laying on the bed, wrapped in bandages and looking frighteningly pale. Sasuke moves silently into the room and sits carefully on the edge of the bed. He reaches out to take her hand and stops when he sees the glint of gold in the dim light. Pulling his hand back, he looks down and feels a tear slide down his cheek at the sight of his mother's ring on Sakura's hand. He reaches out and gently traces a finger over the slim, golden band and more tears fall.

"Sasuke-kun... I love you."

Sasuke blinks back tears and lifts his head to look down at Sakura. "I love you, Sakura. That ring looks even better on you than I expected."

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, I'll marry you, Sasuke... kun."


	12. Chapter 12

Sakura spent several weeks in the hospital, her heart slow to heal and giving both Tsunade and her family and friends several scares. Her stubborn determination to live for her daughter, and for Sasuke was the reason she gave for her ability to survive what should have been a mortal wound. Sasuke visited her every day he was allowed to, and hounded Tsunade and the hospital staff until they were half crazy on the days she was too weak for visitors. Mikoto was never allowed into the hospital until Sakura was well on her way to recovery. Sasuke was never sure how he felt about this, but he never really fought it. Mikoto seemed willing enough to accept his word that as soon as her mother was well enough, Sasuke would take her for a visit. Sasuke moved into Sakura's home to take care of Mikoto while Sakura was in the hospital after quickly figuring out his small room wasn't going to work for two people.

When Sakura was finally released from the hospital, Sasuke began sleeping on the couch even though Sakura protested. Tsunade had tried to lecture him about how to take care of Sakura, but Sasuke walked away from her in mid-sentence. When she didn't send a couple of Anbu squads to drag him back to her, he guessed she'd figured out he didn't need her lecture. He was a hell of a lot smarter than she seemed to think he was. Sakura told Sasuke that she thought it was just that the Hokage had decided it wasn't worth the effort to butt heads with him after weeks of butting heads with Sakura, because even though she was weak, and her heart kept threatening to give out on her, Sakura had remained the stubborn kunoichi she had always been.

It was a little more than a year after Sakura first stepped out of the hospital that Sasuke married her. Most of the village turned out for the wedding. It seemed most everyone in the village viewed Sakura as some kind of hero for surviving something she shouldn't have been able to. The faith in the safety of Konoha that had been weakened with the unexpected attack was reaffirmed just by the determination of one ninja not to die. Sasuke was proud of Sakura, but he never mentioned it to her as she didn't think she'd done anything special. She wasn't the only one to take a serious injury, but she was one of the few that survived. Sasuke mourned those that died, both the ninjas he knew as well as the ones he didn't, but deep inside, even as he mourned, he celebrated Sakura's life. Deep down, he knew that he'd have traded any life in the village for the life of Sakura.

Sasuke feels a soft weight slam into the back of his legs moments before he feels small arms wrap around them. Drawing himself from the memories of the past, he turns and smiles down at his son, bending to pick the boy up, holding him close. "What is it, Kakashi?"

"I wanna play ninja Daddy! You didn't come home soon enough to play ninja last night."

"I had a mission son. I can't play ninja when I'm needed as a real ninja."

"Kakashi, leave Daddy alone! I told you him and Momma are going to be with Uncle Naruto today! It's Uncle Kakashi's birthday."

Sasuke looks back over his shoulder and smiles at his youngest daughter. Even at six, the girl acted more like her mother than any of their other children, and she looked the most like her as well. Sasuke leaned back against the railing at the edge of the porch, waiting to see if the rest of his brood came running out the door, and indeed they did. After only a few moments, Uruchi is followed by her older brothers Fugaki and Teyaki. Once the older three had settled around him, Sasuke leaned over and settled Kakashi amongst his siblings. Standing back up, he crosses his arms over his chest and tries to look sternly at his children, but as usual, he can't hold the stern look and breaks into a proud smile.

"Uruchi is right, it is the sixth Hokage's birthday today, and your mother and I are going to go visit and reminisce about the old days when we were all a team. But, I promise I will play ninja with you tomorrow, Kakashi. I haven't forgotten my promise just because I've been busy. Until then, why don't you play with your sister and your brothers?"

Kakashi crosses his arms over his chest and tries his best sneer as he looks at his older brothers. Sasuke has to fight not to smile at this, knowing his son was trying to be serious. "They don't ever want to do nothing but practice with shuriken and study their books. They said they don't have time for me. Daddy, can I go with you to see Uncle Naruto?"

Sasuke frowns at his two older boys until both squirm and look away, then turns his attention to Kakashi once again. "They do need to practice so they can become ninjas just like your mother and I some day, but I'm sure they'd be happy to make some time for you, Kakashi. And no, you can't go with us today. Today is just for grown-ups. Mikoto should be back from her mission this afternoon before we go, and you're all going to go see your grandparents."

"Can we go see Uncle Naruto and Aunt Hinata tomorrow then? Please Daddy?"

"You think the Hokage hasn't got anything better to do than deal with you brats?" Sasuke grins lovingly at his children and shakes his head. "No Kakashi, your Uncle Naruto is too busy right now, but I'm sure you'll get to see him again soon."

Sasuke looks up when Sakura steps out the door, a baby in each arm. Smiling warmly, Sasuke slips through his older children to take Obito in his arms. He reaches out and traces a finger down Shisui's soft cheek, then leans in to give Sakura a soft kiss. Stepping back from his wife, he smiles down at the two youngest of his children and feels himself sinking back into memory. He'd always wanted to rebuild his clan, but it was a surprise to him just how many children he and Sakura had been blessed with. Kakashi was thought to be the last, born not long after the accidental death of their former sensei, Sasuke and Sakura thought Kakashi would be the perfect name for the son that they thought would be the last. They were both surprised and delighted to find out Sakura was pregnant again a little over a year ago, and even more delighted to learn it was to be twins.

Sighing quietly, Sasuke looks at his two youngest sons and thinks about all the tragedy that lead to this much joy in his life. Feeling Sakura's eyes on him, Sasuke looks up from the twins and smiles reassuringly at her. Glancing around, he notices that the rest of the children had gone inside. Looking back at Sakura, he grins sheepishly and shakes his head. "I did it again, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did. I swear, the older you get the more often we seem to lose you to memories of the past. Forget the past, Sasuke. Think about your future, our future. These two boys will be fine shinobi one day and they will help to continue the rebuilding of the Uchiha clan. It won't be much longer and this compound will house more than just our large family. Our children will be starting families of their own soon."

"Don't rush me into old age yet, Sakura. Mikoto's only 16, I don't think she'll be giving up grandchildren for a while yet."

Sakura grins at Sasuke and shrugs her shoulders slightly. "Oh, you never know my love, you never know."

Sasuke shakes his head and slides an arm around Sakura's shouldes, turning her to face the door. As they step back into the house, Sasuke glances down at the boy sleeping in his arms. "Oh, I know. She's probably been chasing one of the boys on her team for years, just like her mother." Sasuke pauses to grin down at Sakura, enjoying the teasing scowl she gives him in return. "But, it's going to be a long time before these two will be worried about starting families, so let's just enjoy them while they're young."

"I couldn't have said it better myself."

* * *

And thus ends my first full-length SasuSaku fanfic. I hope you all enjoyed reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you all for reading my story. And a special thank you for all of you that took time to review my story. Your comments help give me the courage to continue writing fanfic. So, once again, thank you! :)

Because Sasuke and Sakura had quite a brood, I thought perhaps it would be a bit confusing trying to figure out what order the children came in. This last chapter takes place about 12 years after chapter 11. So, these are the children, and their ages:

Mikoto - 16 (Of course.)

Fugaki - 10

Teyaki - 9

Uruchi - 6 (One of only 2 daughters. With Mikoto gone on missions a lot, she's stuck with all those brothers. Poor kid. ;))

Kakashi - 4

Shisui & Obito - About 4 months old.

Hope that helped!


End file.
